


Corrupted Lungs

by Havealuke611



Category: Mission: Impossible, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
Genre: Denial, Friends to Lovers, I'm terrible at this, Lots of cuddles, M/M, Mixed Signals, More like coworkers to lovers but you know, Unrequited Love, Will gets thrown into a bunch of shit, a little bit too much, but he likes it, majority is cute and fluffy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-10
Updated: 2015-08-16
Packaged: 2018-04-13 22:32:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4539975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Havealuke611/pseuds/Havealuke611
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was in that moment that he found himself completely relying on Ethan. His voice, his clear authority and the way he held himself easily like it was nothing. Will let himself focus solely on the man, hanging on every word he said to give him his own confidence and willpower to keep his head straight. His German wasn’t exactly perfect, but Ethan’s looks of encouragement allowed him to pull it off. He realized in that moment that he wouldn’t be able to do it without Ethan. He was more than just a team leader. Will needed him. That was probably his third mistake. </p>
<p>or the one where Will agrees to a mission with Ethan that he really shouldn't have and he knew it, but he just couldn't help himself. That mission changed the way he saw Ethan completely and really, he turned from a crushing schoolgirl to just plain falling on his face with infatuation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Okay honestly I just love these two together so so much I needed to write something about them. The prologue is extremely short and I'm sorry for that but I promise the plot will pick up in the next chapter!

In all honesty, Will had absolutely no idea what he was getting himself into. It wasn’t at all his fault he was thrown into the world of Ethan Hunt and his nonstop scandals and mischief, but he couldn’t stop himself from loving every second. That was probably his first mistake. The team, the atmosphere, everything about Ethan Hunt and his world drew Will in. Benji and Jane had warmed up to him by now, seeing as he was a part of their team, and he considered them the closest of friends, family even. That was probably his second mistake.  
  
Granted, the Russia mission was something he had no true choice in, it still felt good to be back in the field. The action that was completely left out in the life of an analyst was the reason he decided to get back into it. That’s what he told himself anyways. He missed the danger and being in the middle of it all. What definitely didn’t convince him was Ethan Hunt’s smile and charm or his way of somehow convincing anyone of just about anything. Of course not, Will was a grown man and made his own damn decisions.  
  
Passing the field exam again was easy enough, Will not really doing anything in his free time but train and sleep. Overall, accepting Ethan’s offer to join his team was a wonderful idea and Will hadn’t been happier in a long time. They had only had a few bobbles here and there so far and even Director Brassel had given them his overall support, saying the quartet worked impressively together. Things were good and Ethan’s smile was as bright as ever and Will didn’t sit at a desk every day and well, he didn’t plan on anything really changing anytime soon. But then again, we really have no control over those things do we?  
  
As of now, Will was perched in a chair in the small living room of the apartment the four were staying in over the duration of the current mission they were on. He had his iPad in his hands, scrolling lazily through some news article that he was only half paying attention to. Honestly, it seemed like it was the same bullshit day after day. What he was more focused on was Benji’s voice beside him talking to the only other male in the room about some new technology that could alter voice boxes or something by computer. Something like that anyways. He made a soft turn of his head, just enough so that his vision could catch Ethan who was sitting in the far corner, like he was just observing everyone. Lots of things about Ethan caught Will’s attention, like the way he could be having a full on conversation with someone, but somehow keep complete tabs of everything else happening at the same time. Never spacing out, always focused.  
  
A small sigh and Will stood, setting the device down and making his way to the toilet, eyes seeing Jane in the kitchen as he passed, making them some sort of food since she was the only one who even remotely knew their way around a kitchen. Will figured it was a woman thing and never really questioned it. Sometimes he had to sit back and really take in the fact that they were seriously like a family. They were all so comfortable around each other it was crazy. But then again, Will spent more time with his team than his actual family, so it enough sense. Will took to washing his hands, looking over the small gashes that were slowly healing and scrubbing the dirt from under his nails. Moments like this weren’t exactly common, no action, no danger, just the four of them sitting around like normal people. It seemed as though the thought jinxed it though, and not even a second later “Will!” was called through the rooms, Ethan’s voice ringing in his ears.  
  
He was back out to the living room in no time, face concerned as it found that of his leaders. He was only waved over to the computer sitting on Benji’s lap per usual.  
  
“It seems as if our target has decided to make a move. We’re going to be moving ahead of schedule.” Will’s lips set to a firm line at the information and his eyes scanned over the laptop screen where, just as he was told, the tracker had picked up on movement. They were currently honing on some mafia leader who was wanted in way too many places for any of them to keep track. The mission was easy enough. They had already intercepted all of the contact the man was having and gotten information of the “meeting” he was supposed to be having tonight with two German leaders. All they had to do now was capture the others, put on a few masks (much to Benji’s disappointment he again didn’t get to wear one), go on, chat the guy up and boom, they gave him a bit of sedation and they were out of there. Another win. Honestly, it was a cake walk in Will’s mind.  
  
Unfortunately, it seemed that the guy they were tracking, Reznikov, had decided he wanted his information a bit sooner. As it seemed now, he was going to the warehouse the others were currently residing and he was moving much too quickly.  
  
“Brandt, you know what to do. Get ready; we need to be out of here pronto. Benji, get the truck.” Ethan’s voice had that all familiar serious edge to it and Will wasted no time at all running to his room and throwing his clothes and mask on, easy getting ready and putting his comm in his ear within five minutes. If there was one thing he learned from the IMF, it was how to get dressed impressively fast.  
  
Within fifteen minutes, they arrived at the warehouse, each of them, aside from Benji who needed to stay with all the tech shit in the truck, were making their way past guard after guard, racing against the clock to beat Reznikov. Surprisingly enough, the security around the place was not even close to what the team thought it to be and they made it to the main door where their leaders were lazing around, playing a game of cards, minding their own business.  
  
“Guys, guys, quick little thing here, yeah Reznikov just arrived. He’ll be there ETA 3 minutes.” Will felt his stomach drop at Benji’s voice and his eyes immediately went to Ethan whose eyes flashed with nerves before it disappeared again.  
  
That was another thing that Will had always been fascinated by about Ethan Hunt. No matter the pressure, he never seemed phased. He can keep his shit together so well it seems like he isn’t even worried. Always cool and collected, completely in control. Will admired it more than anything. He was almost a bit green with envy at the fact, actually. Having his fair share of fuck ups and failures, Will struggled to not panic at times. He felt his mind start to move to quickly and his heart start to beat too fast and his breathing got heavy, but he simply looked at Ethan and it disappeared. Ethan had so much confidence it wore off on his team and it showed.  
  
Ethan took no time to wait any longer and form a plan, he bust through the door like owned the damn place, Will and Jane flanking him, guns raised. The rest was particularly easy except for the whole fact that the one bastard ripped part of Will’s mask completely off and he had to go without even though he looked completely out of place. He kept getting looks the entire duration of the exchange, but other than that it all went smoothly and according to plan, despite fear coursing through him.It was in that moment that he found himself completely relying on Ethan. His voice, his clear authority and the way he held himself easily like it was nothing. Will let himself focus solely on the man, hanging on every word he said to give him his own confidence and willpower to keep his head straight. His German wasn’t exactly perfect, but Ethan’s looks of encouragement allowed him to pull it off. He realized in that moment that he wouldn’t be able to do it without Ethan. He was more than just a team leader. Will needed him. That was probably his third mistake.


	2. The Mission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! I spent like the entire night writing and rewriting this so I really hope you guys enjoy! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I know there are probably a few fics out there about the same sort of idea, but I promise I have no intent of plagiarizing and will completely put my own twist on it. I didn't get my ideas from anyone else, they are completely my own. Just wanted to clarify that :)

He honestly hadn’t remembered being this bored in a very long time. They hadn’t had a mission for a few weeks and that literally meant doing nothing. Sure, Will took his morning trips to the gym and stopped by HQ every once and a while to do some paperwork and check in with the others, well mostly to see Ethan since he didn’t really see him outside of missions as much as he wanted and so it kind of got to him, no biggie. He could go see his team leader without it being weird, it wasn’t weird. Ethan always greeted him with that bright smile and happy look in his eyes so he figured he had no reason to stop. It wasn’t like he was bothering him, Ethan looked just as bored really.  
  
Currently, Will was sitting at home, laying on the couch with a cup of tea in his right hand and the remote in his left, flicking through the channels on the TV like he was forced to just of pure boredom. He didn’t watch television, he literally never did, didn’t even know why he wasted the money on the damn thing, yet here he sat, his eyes only sort of focused on the fuzzy screen. Sighing softly and taking a sip of the beverage that was starting to go cold, it was an understatement to say Will jumped when his phone started ringing. He felt his heart do a small jerk when he heard the familiar ringtone that belonged to his team leader. Yes, he had a ringtone just for Ethan; it was a long story okay. Quickly reaching for the phone, Will’s smile hurt his cheeks.  
  
“Hey Ethan.” He answered and it was probably just his mind playing tricks on him, but he swore he felt the other smiling through the phone.  
  
“Hey, I was just calling because the others and I were talking and we’re all extremely bored, as I’m sure you are as well, so I thought we should all get together. I wanted to invite you.” Velvet voice, completely sure of himself like always. Will smiled a little more and he was on his feet in seconds, putting the mug in the sink and heading to go change.  
  
“That sounds great! I’d love to. Where should I meet you?” He probably sounded a little overeager and a soft chuckle was heard on the other side. His cheeks may have turned a little pink at that, but he didn’t notice.  
  
“We’re heading over to Jane’s right now, but she’s insisting-“ Ethan was cut off by Jane yelling in the background, “It’s going to be fun!”, and Will had to laugh, “-insisting that we all go to a club, so be prepared for that since she’s very set on it.” Ethan laughed again and will felt his stomach sink a little, but the happy buzz in his head countered it. Jesus, he hadn’t been to a club in ages.  
  
“I’ll meet you at Jane’s in ten then.” He paused, his voice got a little too soft, and added, "Thank you, Ethan". He may have hung a little too tightly to the small, “Of course Will, see you then” before the phone hung up and he was left with the terrible task of getting properly dressed for the occasion.  
  
It was complete impulse, but he ended up sending Ethan a quick message consisting of ‘What are people wearing to the club now a days? Ha’ and he threw his phone to the bed as he started going through his closet, not finding anything immediately which discouraged him the slightest bit. He leaped at his phone when it buzzed and read over the words ‘Definitely asking the wrong person there’ and it made him smile because that was complete bullshit. Ethan always dressed to the nines. A soft roll of his eyes and he was about to discard the phone when another message came through  
  
‘You always look great though, so it really doesn’t matter’  
  
To say Will couldn’t wipe the smile off his face the entire way to Jane’s was the understatement of the century.  
  


He may have rushed his dressing purely because he was so eager to get to ~~Ethan~~ his friends. He ended up in a button up with a tie loose around his neck, sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a pair of tan pants that may have been a size too small and hugged him in the best places. A little gel in his hair and a quick shave and he was out the door. He knocked on the door twelve minutes after he had gotten off the phone with Ethan and knocked on the door, smile on his face. He was greeted by Jane herself, who looked stunning if he did say so himself. He had never seen the woman wear the same thing twice, it was absolutely insane.  
  
“Will! There you are, looking very sharp I see.” She smirked at him and ushered him inside where he was met by the remaining two of his team, both sitting on the couch, beers in their hands.  
  
“Hey guys.” He waved, walking over to place himself on the remaining spot on the couch, next to Ethan and he looked over to him, about to say something more, but was cut off by Benji.  
  
“Honestly though, I haven’t been to a club in like years. I mean many years and really, we’re IMF agents like is this the best idea?” Always wanting to stay in and have down time, typical. It made Will chuckled a bit to himself.  
  
“You need to let loose a bit Benji, really. It’s just a club and it’s not like we’re on a mission-“ Ethan continued to rant to Benji and Will paid attention to every smooth word the man said, that is until Jane smiled at him and spoke. “Want a beer?” She asked, already up and moving to the kitchen. Why not? Will figured he might as well take Ethan’s advice, even if it wasn’t directed at him.  
  
They took a while to actually get to the club, not getting in the door till around 10:45 and the drive over consisted of arguing about using code names since Benji thought it would be “fun” and “make things interesting”. They decided on animals, which was Jane’s idea, and Ethan said they should pick for each other, just to be fair. It was decided Jane would be ‘Honey Bee’, Benji would be ‘Gecko’ (he may have whined and said “Why do I always get the dicky names, you guys suck. I hate you”, but everyone was laughing and happy, so he dealt), Will was ‘Lynx’ even though he didn’t understand why, and finally Ethan was tagged as ‘Falcon’ because it was all too fitting.  
  
Once they finally made it inside, they went to the bar, each getting a drink and just taking in the environment. It was pretty much exactly like Will had remembered, bright lights and loud music with a fantastic bass that made him want to move, even though he had never been the dancing type. Okay yes he was, but no one needed to know.  
  
“Well, nothing about the club has really changed I see.” He laughed a bit and they all agreed.  
  
“Still pretty shady and too loud.” Benji frowned, but Jane and Ethan were having none of it.  
  
“You guys just don’t know how to have fun!” She exclaimed, pulled Ethan’s arm so he would follow her over to where everyone was dancing and he just smiled, handing Will his drink as he followed her. A small raise of an eyebrow fell onto his face and he shook his head, setting down Ethan’s drink as he watched the two walk off, leaving he and Gecko alone.  
  
“They get along awful well don’t they?” Benji said absent mindedly and Will’s chest stung just a bit as he watched them dance together.  
  
“I guess so, I mean they just seem like good friends to me.” He shrugged and looked down at the liquid in his glass, his voice wondering just a bit. His eyes found the pair again a few seconds later and Benji was talking again, but he couldn’t find the sense to pay attention as he watched Ethan’s hips move, hands on Jane’s waist and a smile on his face. He looked fucking stunning, the lights giving him a sort of glow and his hair had fallen into his face a bit, but damn did he pull it off. He stared back down at his drink, chugging the rest and Benji was still talking.  
  
“Looks like Falcon is being taken away from Honey Bee.” He shook his head. “That man is like a female magnet, I swear.” That sentence caught his thoughts and sure enough, a pretty blonde with a blue dress had taken Ethan from Jane, who had also found another dancing partner. Will ignored the small envy playing in his chest, writing it off as wishing he had someone to dance with, rather than wishing he was the one dancing with Ethan.  
  
As if his thoughts had been heard, a woman appeared in front of him only a minute later, shy smile on her face. She was cute, brown hair and pretty honey colored eyes. She asked him to dance and he gave her a small smile before shrugging a small, “Sure” and following her out to where the others were.  
  
He danced with the woman for a while, but she got a bit too clingy and honestly he just wasn’t that into her, his eyes always wondering back to Ethan who was just having fun, dancing with whoever wanted, not a care in the world. Will tried really hard to let go and just have fun and sure, it wasn’t a horrible time and he wasn’t a horrible dancer either, but something was just off. He went to say goodbye to the girl, explaining that he was going to get a drink and turned to go, but was met with Ethan and he stumbled back a bit, wrist caught by the other to keep him from falling.  
  
“You alright there Brandt? Seem a little uneasy?” Ethan’s eyes were a little amused, but Will could see he was asking out of genuine care. A soft shrug was the only response Will gave before realizing Ethan was having none of it.  
  
“Not uhm- not really my scene you know?” He gave a small smile and Ethan frowned, taking a step closer just so he could hear a bit better, but it lit Will on fire.  
  
“Oh come on Will! You just have to not worry so much.” He smirked and reached to take both of Will’s hands, pulling him to the middle of the massive crowd and he smiled at him. “Dance with me, just me, no worries.”  
  
Will raised his eyebrows at the other. “You want me, to dance with you?” He asked, like he was sure he hadn’t heard Ethan correctly. The other only smiled and nodded, his hands going to Will’s hips as he started to dance, closing his eyes for just a second and really, Will took that time alone to process this. In the end he decided that he would be a fool to miss the opportunity to dance with Ethan Hunt so he did just that, laughing and then falling into rhythm with the other man, smiles on both of their faces as they lost themselves in the music.  
  
Sweat had started to cover Will’s skin when Ethan spun him around, pulling him just a bit closer and Will’s breath caught in his throat when the other leaned up to whisper in his ear, hips still going to the beat and they were just so extremely close.  
  
“I was right, you know. You look stunning.” Will can’t remember feeling that lightheaded in a while and if his cheeks hadn’t already been pink from the heat, he would have been blushing. He didn’t respond, only smiled and leaned back into Ethan the tiniest bit, silently thanking Honey Bee for this idea.  
  


Will woke up the next morning with a soft groan and a pain in his back, arm numb. He only had a slight panic attack before last night’s events played back in his mind.  
  
_“You look stunning.”_  
  
The words were branded into his mind like he would never forget them and he had to force himself to let out a breath, sitting up only to realize the pain in his back was no doubt from the couch he had been sleeping on. He vaguely remembers leaving and crashing at Jane’s, too exhausted to drive back home. A look around teaches him Ethan slept on the chair next to him and Benji must have taken the guest room. Trust Ethan to take the most uncomfortable. Stubborn fucker. Will rubbed his eyes and yawned, slumping back down into the couch and shutting his eyes again. He didn’t feel as terrible as he should, probably because of Ethan’s words still running through his eyes like a constant loop.  
  
“Morning.” Ethan’s voice was unmistakable in the silent room and Will opened one eye to look over at the man in the chair, seeing he was only half awake himself.  
  
“Hey.” Will managed to get out, soft smile on his face as he looked over Ethan, trying to ignore the urge in his gut to walk over and crawl into the man’s embrace and go back to sleep. Honestly he didn’t even know why that was a thought in his head. Psh, right. Looking at the clock, Will groaned. It was way too early.  
  
“Wanna get coffee?” Ethan asked, sitting up and yawning as well, glancing over at Will, obviously knowing the feeling of your body waking you up at the earliest of times for no real reason other than habit.  
  
“Yes. Definitely.”  
  
The duo was outside the local coffee shop in no time, sitting at a small booth, cups of the liquid gold in their hands. Ethan’s words were still running through Will’s mind and he really wanted to ask him about it, at least ask if he had been imagining the sentence or not, but he kept quiet, resorting to looking between his coffee and the man consuming his thoughts. It was all just a bit much. Sure, Will had always found Ethan _attractive_ , but he’s Ethan Hunt, every person in the history of forever finds him attractive. They would be a fool not to. The things was, Ethan was staring back at him. Every time he let his vision rise beyond his coffee, he was met by those blue eyes and it made him a little uneasy. The silence between them wasn’t exactly awkward, but it wasn’t comfortable either.  
  
Eventually Will cleared his throat and spoke despite himself, just needing to strike a conversation. “So last night was fun.” Dammit Brandt. He could have hit himself and more than likely physically winced at his own words. Ethan only smiled though, happy Will had spoken.  
  
“It was. I think it’s really good for the team to get out and have fun like that. Brings us closer together you know?” Will tried to ignore the pointed look that he seemed to be getting from Ethan and simply wrote it off as his mind playing tricks on him. He downed the rest of his coffee and nodded.  
  
“Yeah, I agree. I know Jane was having a blast, but poor Benji was left in the dust a bit.” He laughed a bit and shook his head. The poor guy. He’s got a real heart of gold, no denying that.  
  
“I think he had more than he’s willing to let on, but hey, I’m not the analyst here.” The soft smirk on Ethan’s lips was playful and Will simply rolled his eyes, the smile not leaving his lips. “I had a really good time though as I hope you did as well.” It seemed like more of a question than anything, obviously talking about their time being together more than the night as a whole and Will let his eyes meet Ethan’s again and he nodded, clearing his throat a bit.  
  
“Yeah, I had a really good time.” He gave the other a reassuring smile and they fell back into silence again, but it was alright this time. Will didn’t feel that itch of desperation to say something. He only got some more coffee and settled for some silent people watching, just observing the world around him while his thoughts went to Ethan, something that was becoming more of a normalcy than Will wanted to admit. They had to have been sitting there for a good half an hour before Ethan spoke again and Will didn’t catch him the first time, too absorbed in his own thoughts.  
  
“What was that?” He asked, his expression curious as he focused his gaze back on Ethan who seemed a bit nervous, almost, but that in itself was a bit of a stupid statement.  
  
“Do you want to go to dinner tonight?” He asked, his voice not as proud and confident as usual. Will heart did a little jump and it skipped a few beats before starting up again, allowing Will to process Ethan’s words. It must have taken longer than he thought, because Ethan spoke again, a little faster.  
  
“I just wanted to talk to you about something, you don’t have to go, if you don’t want, it’s a bit of a sudden thing.” Was Ethan Hunt back peddling? Over asking Will to dinner? Will almost couldn’t believe his eyes.  
  
“Of course- I mean yes, I’ll go with you.” He smiled and began to reach his hand over to rest it over Ethan’s in a sort of comfort, but quickly rethought it and instead just laid it on the table, watching Ethan’s expression change into that signature smile.  
  
“Great, I’ll pick you up at 7.”  
  


Apparently the world decided that time was going to move unbearably slow on this particular day because it seemed like an eternity before seven o’clock rolled around and Will had been sitting in his living room completely ready for an hour. The knock on his door made him jump up faster than he thought possible and he straightened out his jacket before pulling the door open, revealing a very nicely dressed Ethan with that smile and Will’s heart rate had already picked up.  
  
“Ready?” He asked. Will only nodded, walking out the door and locking it before following Ethan to his brand new, sliver Aston Martin Vanquish and climbing in the passenger side, his door being held open by Ethan and he thanked him, praying a small blush didn’t appear on his cheeks.  
  
They arrived at the cute little Italian place only ten minutes later, their conversation in the car consisting only of ‘How are you’s and small talk about the car that Will absolutely adored. But then again, much like Ethan himself, who wouldn’t?  
  
Ethan had apparently reserved seating because they were taken right in and to a table in the back that was probably the most private in the entire place. Ethan was overly polite to the waitress as always, having that charm that sent people crazy. It wasn’t till halfway through their bottle of wine that Will got the balls to bring it up.  
  
“So what uhm- what did you want to talk to me about?”  
  
Over the course of the few hours Will was alone in his apartment, a million scenarios played out in his head. Ethan had been acting a bit differently towards him lately. A little bit of flirting here and there and Will had convinced himself for a while that it was only up in his head, that he simply wished Ethan to compliment him and be interested and therefore that’s what he heard, but he was logical. Will was too smart to let a little crush mess with his sense of logic. There could be a million reasons Ethan was acting so differently and being genuinely attracted to Will was included in only a small portion of those. He refused to let himself get down about it or discouraged. He was simply _attracted_ to Ethan, he wasn’t obsessed with him or anything, no, he could just let this go and be fine, but Ethan was making forgetting about it extremely difficult as he sat across the table to Will, looking as breathtaking as always, soft smile on his lips.  
  
“Ah, right. Well, I have something to ask of you Will.” He paused, setting down his menu that was in his hands before and lacing his fingers together, something he only did when he was completely serious. “I want you to know before I ask that you in no way have to say yes and it’s completely up to you, but the more I think about it, the more I know you’re who I want.”  
  
Will was about to fucking combust. His palms were sweating and it was hard to breath, like he desperately needed to loosen his tie, his heart was racing and he was forcing himself to not assume, simply nodding his head.  
  
“I have a mission, it’s not a particularly difficult one, but it’s a bit…strange. It’s in France and the IMF has been working for years to track down the information I was picked to uncover. The thing is, I can’t take the whole team with me. I really want to, but the mission description makes it impossible. The mission calls for posing as a couple and Will, I really want you to go with me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay!!! So there's the overall plot really, I absolutely am in love with the idea and again have great things coming! I hope you guys like the idea too and as always, comments and input are welcomed and appreciated! The next chapter should be up in about a few days or so, but I'm shooting for no longer than a week so hang in there! Next part coming soon!


	3. Grumpy Kitty and Ben

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back!!! I have to say reading over this chapter, I absolutely love it. A lot of cute stuff and well, Will continues to lose his shit which is pretty normal at his point. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> ps. the title is shit, but you'll get it later on.

_“I have a mission, it’s not a particularly difficult one, but it’s a bit…strange. It’s in France and the IMF has been working for years to track down the information I was picked to uncover. The thing is, I can’t take the whole team with me. I really want to, but the mission description makes it impossible. The mission calls for posing as a couple and Will, I really want you to go with me.”_  
  
Will almost spit out the wine he had in his mouth and looked at Ethan like he was completely insane. Why the hell would Ethan want him of all people to go somewhere and be in a relationship with? Why him?  
  
“I-uhm, I don’t understand Ethan. You want me? What about Jane I mean it’s not like you have an all-male team.” He bit his lip and sighed softly, trying to process the information.  
  
“I know that and I’ve thought really hard about it ever since we got back. It would be easier with Jane, we wouldn’t have to work as hard to convince people of our relationship since we’re supposed to be completely in love and all that, but it just…” Ethan paused and shook his head, closing his eyes for a second. “For some reason it doesn’t seem right Will. My gut is telling me I need you there with me. You’re my strongest man and my most skilled agent. I know for a fact we could pull it off. It isn’t exactly farfetched either. I mean you’re an attractive man and so am I, who’s to say we wouldn’t be together?” He gave Will the most sincere look he had honestly ever seen, but the smile had left his face and was instead replaced with a look of almost uneasiness.  
  
“I can’t exactly explain why I want you with me so much or explain why it’s more logical to have you there instead of Jane, but I just do and I’m hoping that’s enough for you to agree. If you don’t feel comfortable doing something like that of course I could get Jane to, but I wanted to ask you first.” He let out a breath then and took a drink of wine, telling Will he was finished speaking. The feeling of combustion hadn’t left Will and he just kind of sat there, too stunned to say anything. Ethan wanted him to go with him. Not because of some logical reason, but just because he thought he was best suited and well, just because he did. More importantly, Ethan said he was _attractive_. Will’s eyes went from Ethan to his wine and then back to the man and he took a deep breath before nodding.  
  
“Alright.” He said quietly, not even sure if he was thinking straight or if he really should except the proposal considering the way he had convinced himself he didn’t feel about Ethan, but obviously did. All he could think about is how fucking amazing he feels knowing Ethan chose him, over anyone else. “I’ll do it.”

They were set to leave in four days and in the three that had already passed, Will had convinced himself he was absolutely, undoubtedly out of his fucking mind. He wanted to go to Ethan and refuse, say he was sorry, but he really just couldn’t do it. The mission was already driving him mad and it hadn’t even started. He knew he could back out if he honestly wanted and needed to, much to Ethan’s more than likely disappointment, but the thing was, Will didn’t actually want to. He wasn’t stupid; he knew it was beyond risky to follow through with this, not just because of the risk of being compromised, but for his mental stability. Doing this would change the dynamic of he and Ethan’s relationship, no doubt about that one. Will just feared it wouldn’t be changing in the way he hoped, but rather quite the opposite.  
  
None the less, Will wasn’t backing out. He had already agreed and he knew that he’d most likely beat himself up for the rest of his life for not taking full advantage of the situation if he didn’t go because let’s be realistic; this was probably the only chance Will would ever have to experience being in a romantic relationship with Ethan Hunt and like always, he would be a dammed fool to pass that up. In the same sense, he was an agent and he was on Ethan’s team and when his leader needed him, it was his duty to respond and do as he was told, no matter what his personal feelings or emotions told him. He had a job to do and that came first, it always came first.  
  
Still, Will couldn’t help the way his fingers tapped nervously on his steering wheel as he made his way to Ethan’s for a last meeting with the team and a debriefing. He was practically shaking like a leaf with nerves and he felt like a complete idiot. He hadn’t really slept much the last few days, operating off coffee and energy bars which were definitely not healthy. He was a professional and this was his job and he had no reason to be freaking out. This was Ethan and Ethan was the best at what he did and Brandt was simply a part of his team. They had done tons of missions, what was one more? They could do this, no problem.  
  
Will felt a bit sick as he parked his car and knocked on the door, adjusting the collar of his shirt as he waited for an answer. Jane and Benji were already here, their cars parked side by side and there was no doubt they were raising eyebrows already, eager to find out about the mission. Ethan opened the door only a second later, soft smile on his face as he was met with Will.  
  
“Hey Brandt.” He smirked just a bit and reached for Will’s wrist, pulling him inside which was totally not necessary and the contact sent shocks through Will’s arm, but he figured he needed to get used to more contact from Ethan anyways. It’s not like it meant anything, it was just for the mission.  
  
“Hi.” Will stepped inside, being tugged by Ethan and then led to the living room, fingers not leaving his wrist until they were in sight of the others. The little contact seemed to calm Will’s nerves enough, feeling a bit more at ease when he sat down on the armchair, Ethan sighing softly and rubbing his hands together as he stood in front of his team, obviously about to start the debriefing of the mission.  
  
“Now that you’re all here, we’ve just been assigned a new mission that takes place in Belgium. The IMF has been trying to track down information on a potential terrorist organization for years and they finally got a lead. Two months ago, the IMF was informed of illegal shipping of drugs from China to Belgium and then all around the world. The specific person those drugs were going through had been identified as Alfonso Lebeau. Lebeau was murdered just over a week ago and all his money was stolen, bank accounts taken over and drained, even his house sold. The money had been tracked best to the IMF’s ability and we have a strong hunch that it’s the work of terrorist action. The mission is to uncover the intent of the group and allow for proper preventative action to be put in place.”  
  
Ethan continued to go on for a few more minutes on the specifics of the group and all information the IMF had on them. Honestly, it seemed like a pretty easy mission to Will. He didn’t see why it was such a big deal really.  
  
“The tricky thing about this is the huge importance of having strong cover. When the IMF first got wind of the group, they sent a team out to get all the info they could. It was a pretty lax mission and a month went by without much said from the team. To this day the team is MIA and almost no information was recovered. IMF has labeled the terrorist group as extremely lethal and dangerous and therefore has put extremely specific rules in place.”  
  
Will’s heart dropped down into his stomach and those nerves came back in a huge rush. He had heard about that team. They just sort of dropped off the face of the planet; explains why they couldn’t bring the whole team.  
  
“Those rules are that only two members of a team can go and they have to act as a couple, on a romantic getaway in Paris which is relatively close to where the IMF believes the terrorist group is working from in Belgium, completely innocent and harmless.” Ethan’s eyes caught Will’s and he felt his heart rate pick up as he met his eyes and then glanced to Jane who had gotten a large amount of excitement in her eyes. She opened her mouth, about to speak, but Ethan got to it first.  
  
“I have made the decision that it with be Brandt and I going abroad and the other two will stay behind and do any research and informing from here seeing as the IMF isn’t willing to risk a whole team again.” Will swallowed the massive lump in his chest and forced a smile back to Ethan who offered him one, but their looks of reassurance were cut off by Jane.  
  
“What?! You have to be fucking kidding me Ethan. You and _Brandt_ are going? What kind of fucking sense does that make?” Not expecting her little outburst, Will’s eyes went wide and he braced himself in his chair, watching Ethan take a step towards the woman, as if to warn her.  
  
“I’ve carefully thought out the situation Jane and I’m sure I’m making the correct call here. You’re of more value here than out there-“ Clearly having none of it, Jane stood and took a step in Ethan’s direction.  
  
“All due respect Agent Hunt, but you obviously have no idea what you’re talking about. Brandt isn’t half as qualified as I am to do this job and I mean, he’s a fucking guy.” She sneered, fire burning in her eyes. Will was on his feet at her final sentence and stood next to Ethan, his eyes lowering to glare at her.  
  
“You better fucking watch it.” He hissed, fists clenched at his sides. Jesus, what crawled up her ass and died? I mean sure, he’d be a little butt hurt too if he was in her position, but hell, this wasn’t at all something to get up in Ethan’s face about. She was completely out of line and if there was one thing Will didn’t just stand there and take was someone undermining his ability to perform or his qualifications.  
  
“Whoa whoa, alright. I think it’s time for Benji to have a say in this. Why don’t we all just calm down alright? Jesus, a bunch of teenagers you lot look like.” Benji rolled his eyes and sat back into the couch like nothing was even happening. Jane gave Will a final look before sitting back in her seat, Will however, remained standing and simply moved to a better position, ready for another outburst. “Ethan has a clear point in his decision and instead of everyone getting all upset thinking this has something to do with skill or ability, we need to think about logic.”  
  
Benji started rambling off some shit about statistics and relationships and cover stories and Will wasn’t really listening. He wasn’t the one who needed convincing here. Will kept his gaze between Ethan and Jane as the three spoke, judging Ethan’s reactions and making sure Jane didn’t try to slit his throat in a random act of aggression. He kept quiet; his head ducked the smallest bit, arms crossed over his chest. He felt bad honestly; he was the cause of all of this arguing. He knew Jane probably wouldn’t be too happy, but she was being a bit overdramatic. That being said, Will’s heart still ached knowing if he would have just declined, everything would be fine between all of them and Jane would be going with Ethan and he could sleep away his feelings of jealousy.  
  
The rest of the meeting between the four of them went decent. Jane came to her senses eventually and Ethan was able to finish explaining the details of the mission, explaining the duties of Benji and Jane while they were here. Will kept his mouth shut, only nodding in agreement here and there when it seems he needed to. Benji and Jane left with their good lucks and goodbye’s a bit later, Jane not making eye contact with Will as she left and he sighed when the door clicked shut, leaving just he and Ethan. He sat back in the chair and slumped forward a bit, head falling in his hands with a groan. He was already exhausted and they hadn’t even left.  
  
A hand was felt on Will’s shoulder a moment later and the touch made him look up to where Ethan was standing above him, almost sympathetic smile on his face.  
  
“Brandt, please tell me you know Jane’s reaction has absolutely nothing to do with you right? I know how you stress over these things and I honestly just want you to forget all about it. You’re the one I want on this mission and she can whine all she wants, but my mind will not be swayed.” Will kept his eyes on Ethan’s as he spoke and he felt significantly better after hearing him, but that ache in the pit of his stomach didn’t go away.  
  
“I know, I just…can’t help but feel a little bad you know? I hate when the team fights. We have to be a whole unit at all times.” Ethan shook his head at Will’s words and his hand moved from his shoulder to the nape of his neck and his thumb ran over Will’s cheekbone. The touch sent waves of heat through Will and he had to force his skin to stay a normal color because honestly, he was convinced for a second Ethan was simply going to lean down and kiss him, but the thought vanished when Ethan took a small step back and the heat of his hand against Will’s skin disappeared.  
  
“You’re doing nothing wrong Will, I’m still so grateful you agreed to going with me. Forget what anyone else thinks. We’ve got this.”  
  
Will watched Ethan disappear into the kitchen and then closed his eyes, leaning back in the chair. He really shouldn’t even care. He shouldn’t care about how Jane reacted and write it off as her being completely childish and have to resist the urge to stick his tongue out at her. He shouldn’t feel nervous about being so close to Ethan or be scared of fucking the entire thing up with his feelings. Nothing about this mission should bother him, but a blind man could see that it did and he wanted to scream. He seriously needed to get his crap together before tomorrow evening.  
  
Hearing approaching footsteps, Will’s eyes snapped open and he sat up a little straighter, Ethan walking over to sit in the seat closest to him, handing a cup of steaming liquid to him. Tea, just the way he liked it. He had no idea how Ethan knew this, but didn’t pay it any mind, figuring there must be more in his file than he thought, such as his tea preferences. A small thank you left him and a half smile, taking a drink of the drink before sighing softly.  
  
“Another thing I really wanted to talk to you about, since the others are gone, is boundaries.” Ethan wasn’t looking at him when he started to speak, but by the end, his eyes had met Will’s. It suddenly felt like there was a thousand pound weight on Will’s chest. He didn’t respond, simply raising his eyebrows to tell Ethan he was listening.  
  
“I’m guessing you already sort of assume what the mission is going to entail in regards to how you and I act, I just want to know exactly where you stand on the whole thing because we need to keep our cover, no matter what that means we have to do.” Will’s cheeks heated up just a bit and he nodded, getting the gist of what Ethan was implying. Jesus, he turned into a fucking pile of nerves as soon as it was brought up, even though he knew it was going to be at some point. He didn’t know which exactly was the cause of his nervousness: the fact that he was afraid of Ethan finding out just how okay he was with being physical with Ethan, or the fact that he was in fact going to be physical with him. Probably both.  
  
“I uhm- I know anything can happen Ethan and I’m just as committed to this mission as you are. You don’t have to hold back…I mean I don’t want you to refrain acting a certain way for my sake. I’ll be fine. Do whatever you have to do, you know?” Smooth Brandt, real fucking smooth. Not at all suspicious. Ethan seemed relieved at this, despite the horrible attempt to stay general in his speaking, and smiled.  
  
“Good, that makes me feel a lot better.” He reached over and took Will’s hand that wasn’t holding the mug of tea, giving it a small squeeze that was easily a sign of putting his whole trust in Will and getting used to the little gestures, _couple-y gestures_ , making it less…foreign. God, Will was so fucked. 

The ride to the airport went easy enough, Ethan being the social butterfly he was kept an almost constant conversation with the driver while Will just sat by his side, smiling when Ethan said something funny and just watching him speak, which was completely enjoyable because well, Ethan was extremely pretty. So pretty that Will missed the very man he was staring at start talking to him.  
  
“Will?” The silky voice filtered through his ears and his eyebrows rose, very aware that he probably looked like a total idiot just zoned out staring, but he was supposed to be completely in love with the guy, so he decided he’d defend his actions as staying in character. “Remember that time your uncle pretended to be a cab driver?” After that, Will kind of zoned out again, Ethan holding the conversation practically all by himself. It was endearing and almost a bit cute, but Will kept that comment to himself.  
  
Will had decided it wouldn’t at all be hard to act like Ethan was the love of his life. Sure, there was the voice in the back of his head constantly reminding him that this wasn’t real and they were on a mission, a very dangerous one at that, but never the less, he just allowed himself to give into emotion the slightest bit and he was a completely convincing boyfriend of three years who bought Ethan a puppy named Echo and lived with him in their home in Colorado.  
  
As they pulled up to the airport, Will jumped out and got their luggage, Ethan paying the driver and bidding his goodbyes before joining Will with a smile and a hand to his waist, pulling him a bit closer.  
  
“Excited?” He asked, and Ethan may have been playing with the couple idea before they actually got to their destination, but the question was genuine.  
  
“Of course I am. Trip of a lifetime really.” Will had never said anything more truthful.  
  
Nerves still coursed through Will as they went through security, easily getting through and making their way to the gate. They sat and Ethan immediately called Benji and Jane, checking in with them to make sure they were all good and set with the mission. Will went to people watching for a bit, doing a once or twice over of his surroundings, a check for danger being a habit more than a precaution now. After deciding staring at people was probably creepy and not very cute boyfriend-ish of him, he pulled out a book he had shoved in his bag before he left and settled in his chair more, seeing as they had a while before their flight since Ethan had insisted they leave extremely early. Over prepared bastard.  
  
Ethan was on the phone for the majority of the time they sat there; Will half listening to his conversation to make sure everything was all peachy. When he did hang up, he immediately turned to the other agent.  
  
“Want to grab some things to eat on the plane? Plane food is always shit.” He gave Will a smile and didn’t even wait for a response, standing and pulling the other up with him. As they walked through the crowds of people, Will got that itchy feeling again, where he felt like he needed to go something, make a move, but wasn’t too sure how. He was probably overthinking the whole situation and needed to get the idea that being a couple meant constantly touching out of his head, but the urge was still there. Not being in enough actual relationships and having a fixed image of what a couple should look like was probably his demise in this situation. Ethan was just walking beside him, paying no mind at all to the world while Will, like usual, was losing his shit. Apparently Will had also adopted the habit of zoning out because Ethan’s confused face come into his vision a few seconds later.  
  
“You alright?” Ethan asked, quickly followed by Will’s nod of reassurance and the smile was back on the man’s face, an arm going around Will’s waist for the remainder of the walk to the little shop. The amount of tension that left Will from the gesture was a bit embarrassing.  
  
They spent a good ten minutes in the shop, having a small laugh over some oddly shaped gummies and Ethan pointing out that Will looked exactly like the massive Grumpy Cat stuffed animal that was propped up in the corner. He tried to be angry about the comparison, but Ethan simply reminded him he was only proving his theory correct. Will rolled his eyes, but smiled and leaned into Ethan’s side just a bit as they went to check out.  
  
Now, Will wasn’t exactly used to having a lot of social interaction. Being with the IMF and all, he didn’t exactly have time to go out to bars and just have a talk or meet people in general really. He wasn’t as used to human contact as the normal person. Therefore, when he felt a pull on his pant leg he didn’t think anything but defense. He was about to retaliate, but he got a sight of what had caused the pull. A little boy, probably only four or five, was standing there with tears running down his cheeks. Will’s heart tugged and he kneeled down, giving the boy a soft look.  
  
“Hey little dude, what’s wrong?” He made his voice as kind as possible and watched the child sob silently before answering him, visibly shaken up.  
  
“I can’t find my mommy.” He whispered, Will barely catching it, but he felt his chest get heavy as more tears ran down the boy’s face.  
  
“Well that’s not good, is it?” He smiled just a bit and gently reached up to wipe away a stray tear. “We better go find her, shouldn’t we?” Will glanced up at Ethan who was now paying attention to the scene in front of him, the look on his face concerned, but also something that reminded him of his niece when she saw a puppy; sort of like his heart had just melted into a massive puddle.  
  
Will stood and reached his hand out for the boy to take, which he did without a second thought, leaning into Will like he had known him his entire life.  
  
They set out to find Ben’s mother (the boy had told them his name immediately after they started walking and at first he tried to say Benjamin, but it was obviously a little too difficult so he settled with just Ben), Ethan hanging close to them as he looked for any sign of a distraught woman. Will talked to the boy and make little jokes in an attempt to cheer him up and the crying eventually subsided, something which Will counted as a personal win. It didn’t take them long at all to find her, frantically talking to a security guard, panic written all over her. The boy went running to her and the other two stopped in their tracks, watching the reunion with soft smiles and warm hearts. Ethan reached to pull Will to him by his waist and Will simply leaned into him, his eyes not leaving Ben.  
  
When the mother saw the two, she walked over, her son in her arms and tears in her eyes. “Thank you so much, I can’t even tell you how grateful I am.” She hugged the boy a little closer in her arms and he started talking about how Will helped him and was talking about superheroes and that Hawkeye was his favorite and “Momma! He’s my favorite too!”  
  
The mother just smiled and eventually turned back to Will and Ethan. “You two make a lovely couple, I hope you get the chance to have kids of your own, you’d be amazing fathers.”  
  
Will felt a blush form on his cheeks and his heart did a little jump because this was really all too real. He looked to Ethan who gave him a small smile and nosed at his cheek, turning to beam at the mother and thank her. They both waved goodbye to Ben as he left and Will’s heart was still hammering out of his chest.

Will was relieved to discover the seats in the plane were doubles and not triples, which meant he had to sit with Ethan and no one else. No one to question them or anything of the sort, just peace and quiet. Maybe he’d be able to catch a few winks on the plane for once. He knew Ethan would be out in minutes; lucky ass could literally sleep anywhere.  
  
Ethan gave Will the window seat, putting their carry-on bags away for them and then settling next to the other, a hand immediately going to Will’s thigh as if it was a habit, but Will got the message the little gesture gave. This was starting and they could no longer hold back. They had to be completely convincing. He hesitated for a second before sighing and placing his hand over Ethan’s, giving it a small squeeze before moving to look out the window as the plane started forward.  
  
Like he had predicted, Ethan had dozed off not even an hour into the flight. Will had tried to join him, but eventually he just raised the armrest between them and let Ethan slump into him, mindlessly carding his fingers through the blue eyed man’s hair mostly because it felt nice, but somewhat because the other seemed to relax even more at the touch. He figured it wasn’t doing any harm, so he had no reason to stop.  
  
The rest of the flight went just like that. They had some food and Ethan was awake for only small period of time, easily falling back asleep time and time again. Will marked it down as something else about Ethan Hunt that fascinated him. The man was a federal agent who had more near death encounters than anyone else Will knew, but he was still so relaxed and calm all the time, sleeping away like he had no worries in the world, like he wasn’t about to land in France for a mission where he had to engage a dangerous criminal that could easily kill them both. Must be nice.  
  
Ethan held Will’s hand the entire time they went through Charles de Gaulle Airport, giving him sweet words and even sweeter smiles. Will probably held onto his hand a little too tight and didn’t give enough words of his own, but he really didn’t even know how. It was an unreal feeling, Ethan’s hand in his own, the man’s attention focused solely on him. Will couldn’t make himself really react. He wanted to, knew he needed to, but most of the time he just stayed silent.  
  
They had gotten a surprising amount of nasty looks during their bus ride to the hotel. Some disapproving parents or snide elderly people who clearly believed Christ had damned he and Ethan to hell for loving each other. It was a little sickening, to say the least, but Ethan’s positivity kept Will from letting their gaze bother him. He simply held the man’s hand closer and kept talking to him about Ethan’s previous visit to France. It was probably made up, but the story kept Will sane.  
  
Ethan did ninety percent of the talking and interacting at the hotel, stating their last name (Benji had picked Watson for some ungodly reason), and just keeping Will at his side. Will kept his eyes on the surroundings, always looking for anything that looked out of order. He just felt off really and he wasn’t too sure why. Maybe it was how hot Ethan’s hand was through the material of his jacket or maybe it was the amount of danger he was in.  
  
“One bed?” Will frowned when he walked into the Premier bedroom of the 5-star Four Seasons they were going to be staying at. It was overly nice with a huge bed in the middle and marble countertops in the bathroom.  
  
“We have to get a one bed room Will, it would be way too suspicious if we didn’t.” Ethan frowned just a bit in Will’s direction and then set their bags down, shrugging off his coat and laying it across his suitcase.  
  
“Can we talk?” Ethan sat down on the edge of the bed and looked over at Will with a completely unreadable gaze. Will shrugged and nodded, looking over the TV, making sure there wasn’t any recording devices or cameras planted. The action was probably completely pointless and a little paranoid, but he didn’t care.  
  
“You’re a bit quiet, too quiet and I feel like you’re a little uncomfortable with all of this. I know it’s…different, but you just have to be a little more interactive. I don’t want to sound like an ass, but you know what our cover story is. This mission is going to flop if we can’t do as much as act like we’re in love.”  
  
Will paused all his movement at the last sentence and he tensed up at bit before turning on his heel to face the other man. He couldn’t exactly argue with Ethan. He was right, of course he was. Will wasn’t being an equal in this mission. He was making Ethan do all the work and wasn’t being convincing enough. He sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets.  
  
“I know and I’m sorry; it’s just all a lot for me to take in you know?” He blinked and let his gaze settle on Ethan. “I mean it’s just, we’re supposed to have been together for years, but I can’t help that I get a little quiet at certain things Ethan because I’ve never experienced them. I have never held your hand before or fucking cuddled with you on a plane or kissed you or anything like that and it’s just…difficult.”  
  
Will watched Ethan process the information and he looked down at the floor for a second, like the cogs in his head were slowly turning and coming up with ideas. It took a minute or so, but eventually Ethan stood and took two steps towards Will, one hand going to his waist and the other to his cheek, and _kissed_ him. It wasn’t a soft kiss, like Will would have expected if he had expected the kiss at all. It was firm and sure, lips placed easily on his own. Will didn’t kiss him back at first, a bit frozen at the touch and his first instinct was definitely to retaliate and push Ethan off, but he didn’t. Will’s hands went to the front of Ethan’s shirt, pulling him a little closer once he realized the intent of the action and he kissed him back with just as much force, not at all caring how it looked anymore, but focusing on the fact that he was currently kissing Ethan Hunt.  
  
Ethan was the first to break away, a smirk set on his lips as he moved to look at Will, not moving his hands from where they were placed over Will’s skin.  
  
“I guess it’s about time we get those few years of experienced in then isn’t it?” With that, Ethan turned and the warmth of his touch was gone, leaving Will standing there looking like a dumbfounded idiot as he watched the other pull his shirt over his head and walk into the bathroom. As the door clicked shut, Will let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding in and sat down on the bed, running a hand over his face. He couldn’t feel his toes and his hands were shaking like he was back in high school and had just kissed the captain of the football team. Ethan was much better than any football captain though.  
  
What the hell had he gotten himself into?  
  
Ethan immerged from the bathroom about fifteen minutes later, just a towel around his hips and that fucking smirk still on his face, like he knew exactly what he was doing. Will had changed into a tee and some sweatpants and was propped up on the bed, laptop sitting on his lap and glasses framing his face, the ones he wore when he was tired and his eyes couldn’t focus. He glanced up from the screen, watching Ethan walk over to his suitcase and pull out a pair blue silk bottoms (Will had given him shit for the specific clothing before, saying they were a bit posh, but Ethan just rolled his eyes). The team leader didn’t even bat an eye and dropped the towel, back facing Will as he pulled on the blue material. Will practically choked on his own damn spit. When the other turned to face him, Will had wide eyes and a comical expression.  
  
“What?” Ethan said as innocently as humanly possible and walked over to Will, a hand moving to tilt his chin up and he placed a kiss to the other’s lips. Will guessed this must be just a normal thing now, but if definitely didn’t feel normal. Ethan pulled the laptop from Will’s lap, looking over what he was doing and he typed away at something which Will figured was the conclusion of his email to Benji and then shut the device, moving to lay by Will’s side.  
  
“I really hope you’re okay with this because the way I see it, you’re completely right. We’re supposed to have done things like kiss and hold hands a million times and we haven’t so there’s no way we can be convincing unless we get comfortable doing those things and the only way to get comfortable doing them is well, to just do them.” Will hadn’t moved from his position propped up on the bed as Ethan spoke from beside him and he only watched him, didn’t respond. It made complete sense really. Like Ethan had said before, they had to what they had to do to pull this mission off. Will just wished it felt more like a mission and less like a method of torture.  
  
“Makes sense. I’m fine with it.” Will shrugged and huffed a bit, moving to crawl under the covers and lay next to Ethan, turning on his side so he was facing him. Ethan gave him a smile and nodded, reaching to remove Will’s glasses with the softest of touches and set them on the nightstand before turning back and dipping his head to kiss Will again, holding his position for a while, like he was trying to get the feeling embedded into his mind and make it a normalcy. Will didn’t think kissing Ethan would ever feel normal to him, though.  
  
“I’m glad.” Ethan said after he pulled away and kissed Will’s forehead before turning on his side and flipping off the lights. Will yawned and went to lie on his side, back towards Ethan as he tried to get control of his body again and forget about the minty taste Ethan left in his mouth. The bed may have been huge, but with Ethan lying so close, it felt tiny, the warmth of his body radiating off of him and onto Will.  
  
“Goodnight Will.” Ethan whispered, his voice layered with tiredness even though he had slept the majority of the flight. Will hummed and shifted just a bit, his foot brushing against Ethan’s and it felt like electricity.  
  
“Night Ethan.” It was a little too quiet in the room and the air seemed unnaturally heavy as they both just laid there, not saying anything, the only noise being that of their breathing. Will felt that uneasy itch again and he wanted to fight it, saying that it was just them so he really didn’t need to be close to Ethan at the moment, but something was still telling him to. He argued with himself for a good ten minutes, just debating as to whether he should turn around. Ethan had said that he wanted them to be close and get comfortable so why should Will refrain from doing just that? It just felt a little awkward and his mind was working too much for how tired he was. When he felt Ethan was asleep, Will carefully rolled over and tucked himself into Ethan’s side, his head resting on the junction of his chest and shoulder. There wasn’t any movement for a while, but eventually Ethan wrapped an arm around Will’s body and brought him a little closer, locking their ankles together. Will hated himself for the quick thought of how he could definitely get used to this wondering through is mind right before he drifted into the most content sleep he had had for ages.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you guys catch the Hawkeye reference? I honestly couldn't help myself. Anyways, I really hope you enjoyed it and yes, the title refers to both Jane and the Grumpy Cat in which Ethan is convinced Will looks like. As always, comments are greatly appreciated and I can only hope you guys had as much fun reading it as I did writing it! The next chapter will be up as soon as possible, but school is starting back up and all so it might be a litter longer than I would like, but I'll try my hardest! Lots of love x

**Author's Note:**

> Right, so like I said the actual plot will become much more clear in the next chapter and honestly I have so much planned for this it's amazing. Anyways, feel free to leave comments of encouragement or just with your input in general because its greatly appreciated! I'll be putting up the next bit in a few days so stick with me!


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